Creators of Daesh Seeking to Relocate It to Afghanistan: Ayatollah Khamenei

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei highlighted the US role in the emergence of Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL) terrorists in the Middle East and said those who have created the criminal group are seeking to move it to Afghanistan.

Addressing a religious session in Tehran on Tuesday morning, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed “deep sorrow” over the recent killings of innocent people in Afghanistan.

“The very same hands that created Daesh to use it as an instrument for oppression and crime against the people of Syria and Iraq, now and after facing defeat in the regions, are seeking to relocate Daesh to Afghanistan,” the Leader said, adding that recent killings signify the start of the plot.

Ayatollah Khamenei made it clear that the Washington government is behind the emergence of Daesh in the region and said that by relocating Daesh to Afghanistan, the US aims to legitimize its military presence in the region and ensure the security of the Zionist regime of Israel.

The Leader went on to say that the Americans, themselves, are the main factor behind insecurity in Afghanistan, adding that all killings that have occurred in the name of religion since 20 years ago are directly or indirectly linked to the US.

On November 19, Daesh terrorists were flushed out of their last stronghold in Syria’s Al-Bukamal. The city’s liberation marked an end to the group’s self-proclaimed caliphate it had declared in 2014.

Daesh militants made swift advances in northern and western Iraq over the summer of 2014, after capturing large areas of Syria.

But the timely support by Iran helped Syria and Iraq fight off Daesh. In addition, formation of military units by volunteers in Iraq, known as Hashd al-Shaabi or Popular Mobilization Units, blunted the edge of Daesh offensive and later made the terror group withdraw from much of the territories it had occupied.